Eager to get out of the lab and into the world
The talented team of engineers and developers at pathVu had been hard at work perfecting their technologies and were eager to get out of the labs and into the world. They needed tools and systems in place to both tell their story and communicate benefits to its many verticals in market. At the same time wanting to expand into the consumer market by building an accessible sidewalk navigation app, based on their parent technology.
Inspiring change and creating opportunities for all
Teams with stories, talents, and goals such as pathVu’s demand to be understood and delivered in a very personal way, solving issues with the people who live closest to the challenge at hand.
We set out to understand, define, and redesign the pathVu brand and product experience through human-centered methodologies so it better served pedestrians, and spoke to the challenges of its customers directly and empathetically. Today, pathVu is not just a technology company and service provider; it is a champion of change for people with disabilities. Having been featured in the media across the country, pathVu is well on its way to creating and inspiring positive change at every level of the community, impacting lives so that everyone can have the same access to opportunity.
Amplifying a vision for a brighter future
We provided pathVu with user research that informed the experience of an accessible mobile navigation app designed for people with a wide range of abilities, a fully responsive lead generating website, and a redesign of their core identity to communicate their inspiring vision, spirit, and ability provided by pathMet, their proprietary sidewalk mapping system.
New identity wayfinding
We established key brand and market assets including a logo, icons, photography, and messaging that integrated into the pathVu website as a cohesive yet segmented experience tailored to each sales vertical.
Branding about benefits
Fine Humans Creative Studio implemented this new identity, focusing on both service-side storytelling and mission-centered clarity, into the visual design and interface of PathVu's updated website.
Specifically designed for multi-persona storytelling
Our modular website design enabled us to adapt storytelling to fit the needs of various audiences. Built with a shared set of content block types, readers can choose to view benefit centric content tailored for infrastructure and mobility consultants, engineering companies, government agencies, and campus planning and design professionals in the form of a brief synopsis and informing visuals. Then pedestrians who want to use pathVu as a navigational resource or utilize the app as an advocate for accessibility who use the product to help map the random roadblocks to frictionless sidewalk navigation for all people.
User centered means empathic and universal design guided by stories
An open and non-stigmatizing approach was key in our research process. We conducted user interview sessions, inviting people with unique mobility considerations to share their experiences and thoughts informing our approach. This had a strong influence on our design concepts, which received positive praise in a series of subsequent validation and testing exercises.
Designing and equitable user experience
As part of the first version of the pathVu mobile product, we conducted numerous user interviews and thorough research on how universal design and mobile user experience can positively impact people's lives. Working closely with pathVu's lead developer, we created a versatile mobile navigation experience, sidewalk obstruction collection, and rating tool — emphasizing universal usability. Additionally, we created an extensive design system and provided guidance to support the development process.
Digital marketing and beyond
We revamped pathVu’s growth marketing tools, email templates, social media footprints, internal and external powerpoint templates, a blog to promote pathVu's thought leadership, and trade show display as part of the refreshed brand.
